Chrystal Burkes has been named 2017-18 Bryant Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Burkes is a third-grade literacy teacher at Davis Elementary School.

As a third grade teacher, Mrs. Burkes teaches literacy in meaningful and authentic ways. She integrates technology, music, and educational games and activities into her lessons, which promotes and increases student engagement and willingness to explore and learn.

Her capacity to integrate digital learning into her classroom is unmatched. She does not use technology to replace instruction, but to enhance it. She has created a flipped classroom approach to learning by organizing flexible seating, technology-based mini-lessons, and digital platforms for student portfolios.

In her school, Mrs. Burkes has taken on various leadership positions. She coordinated a school-wide digital citizenship event with online activities to teach students about digital safety, etiquette, source reliability, and responsible technology use both inside and outside of the classroom.

She provides her fellow teachers with support, encouragement, and collaboration. From the beginning of the school year, Mrs. Burkes has challenged teachers to integrate technology into their classrooms to enhance learning. She started a weekly training for staff where new instructional technologies are shared.

Mrs. Burkes has also co-coordinated the Davis Spelling Bee and served as her team’s representative for this year’s literacy night event.

She impacts the entire school community with her strong leadership and positive attitude. She is a role model for all Davis students and an inspiration to the staff.

For all these reasons and more, Chrystal Burkes is Bryant’s Teacher of the Year. Congratulations!